1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to novel glycolic acid fatty ester derivatives which are useful as yarn lubricants and antimicrobial agents.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Fiber lubricants, sometimes referred to as spinning oils or coning oils, are applied to textile fibers to facilitate handling of the yarn in operations such as spinning, weaving, knitting, etc. The lubricant helps prevent breakage of the fibers by the mechanical stress imposed by these operations.
A large number of chemical compositions have been used as textile lubricants. Cohen et al. U.S. Pat. No. 3,926,816 (1975) describe a representative group of lubricant formulation components including: phosphorylated oils, mixed alkylphosphate esters, amyl phenols, esters of castor oil, peanut oil, amines, mineral oil, glycerol esters, linoleic acid, oleic acid, polysiloxanes, etc. Desirable properties of fiber lubricants include lubricity, antistatic control, oxidation resistance, scourability, controlled viscosity range, nonallergenic, odor resistance, stability, corrosion resistance, and low volatility.
Often a single lubricant material will not have all the desirable or necessary properties, and other materials such as bactericides, antistatic agents, antioxidants, and stabilizers must be added to the formulation. See John Sylvester Olsen, U.S. Pat. No. 3,306,850 (1967).
Environmental considerations make it desirable to minimize the use of potentially toxic additives such as bactericides to textile products.
The germicidal activity of certain lipid compounds has long been known. Soap is a familiar example. Various fatty acids and their derivatives have found use as antiseptics and disinfectants, and also as preservatives for drugs and cosmetics. In recent times, however, the fatty acid-derived antimicrobials have to a considerable degree been replaced for such applications by more potent synthetic nonfatty compounds. More recently, many of the latter materials have come under suspicion by regulatory agencies because of their toxicity and side reactions. The pendulum is swinging back in favor of naturally occurring or derived lipid materials for application as antimicrobials and preservatives for food, pharmaceuticals, and other organic materials of commerce which are subject to bacterial or fungal attack, and in the formulation of self-preserving cosmetics.
In the search for antimicrobial agents for use in commercial products, it is necessary to ascertain the relative degree of inhibition that can be attained with any specific microorganisms under normal conditions of product use in accordance with the chemical and physical properties of the product. Minor differences in structure may result in one compound being inactive while a very similar compound has potent broad spectrum antimicrobial activity. Also, some compounds may be selectively active against only one or a small number of microorganisms, while another very similar compound shows a broad spectrum of activity against many types of organisms. Thus, screening is necessary in evaluating new compounds for potential use as antimicrobial agents, followed by intensive testing for specific end uses of those compounds found to have antimicrobial activity.
Bailey et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,464,392 (1984) found that certain glycolic acid derivatives such as carboethoxymethyl hydrocinnamate and bis(carbomethoxymethyl)adipate were effective antimicrobial agents.